ELK M1 Gold - Issues after replacing my Router

[KNW247]

My system was running great before I replaced my router, but now.... not so much. I can still access the system via eKeypad but the email stopped working. I know this is unrealated to the typical email issues because it was working before the Router changed and then it stopped. So Far, i have double checked my IP address, Subnet Mask and Gateway are all correct. I also double checked that my DNS has not changed. I forwarded port 2601 and 8080 (80 is already being used by my cameras). These are the only two ports I think i had forwarding on the old router. My gut is telling me there is a port that needs to be forwarded or opened that my old router had open but this one does not.
 
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[tmbrown97]

outgoing email doesn't require any special firewall configuration - however the Elk needs port 25 open for outbound email - you should check to see if that router blocks port 25 by default... or if you changed ISP's it's quite likely the new one is blocking port 25 - most do these days.

 

[mikefamig]

This link at Elk may be helpful. It is a list of email services that Elk recommends and their setup specs including port. I'm using gmail myself and it has been working well for a few months for me
 
http://www.elkproducts.com/m1xep_email_recommendations.html
 
Mike.

 

[drvnbysound]

Most routers don't block outbound traffic.
 
Did your email configuration change with your ISP? As in, were you using an ISP email account for this?

 

[KNW247]

I could not find anything suggesting that port 25 was blocked. I did find a setting in my router that would send me email reports on my router that also uses port 25, so I turned that on, "just in case". That did not help. Since I have been using port 587, i forwared that port for the IP address that my XEP is on. Also no luck.
 

outgoing email doesn't require any special firewall configuration - however the Elk needs port 25 open for outbound email - you should check to see if that router blocks port 25 by default... or if you changed ISP's it's quite likely the new one is blocking port 25 - most do these days.

 

[KNW247]

Hi Mike, I started to download the new Firmware so I could use gmail, as the instructions indicate, however, while following the instructions to update the bootware, i got an error saying my xep was not connected. I then decided that since I "know" the issue is not related to an encripted email service becuase it stopped working exactly when i switched out my router, then I would be making an error to introduce more potential variables. It has to be a router setting.

This link at Elk may be helpful. It is a list of email services that Elk recommends and their setup specs including port. I'm using gmail myself and it has been working well for a few months for me
 
http://www.elkproducts.com/m1xep_email_recommendations.html
 
Mike.

 

[KNW247]

drvnbysound,
There have been no changes to my ISP. I have my email account set up at Mydomain.com.
 

Most routers don't block outbound traffic.
 
Did your email configuration change with your ISP? As in, were you using an ISP email account for this?

 

[KNW247]

Thank you all for your help. Here is the latest update.
 
I noticed that i had the ElkRP set to "Obtain DNS Automatically". I changed this to "Specify DNS Addresses to use" and my email is now working.

 

[tmbrown97]

Ah - yeah that's been troublesome for many.  I wonder what about the new router was different - like if the old one did DNS forwarding (router's IP worked as DNS server) and new one doesn't - or something.  Oh well - glad its working!

 

[pete_c]

The ISP modems can or cannot block old legacy Email TCP SMTP port 25 (out email). 
 
Your personal router/firewall is adjustable to any set of firewall rules you want.
 
Many folks utilize combination router/firewall/switch/wireless access point boxes.
 
Mostly the pieces to get to the internet are all the same.
 
ISP Internet ==> ISP configured Modem (router) ===> Ethernet
 
You can do anything you want with that Ethernet connection and mostly folks utilize a personally purchased or leased combination router (router #2), firewall, switch, access point combination box.
 
That saying if Email TCP SMTP port 25 is blocked on the modem; whatever you do with your firewall router box will not change this.
 
It started about 5-6-7 years ago.
 
Typically you cannot see all of the configuration of a modem. 
 
A new modem will typically boot up, run TFTP and download the configuration for the box based on the service contract that modem has with the ISP.
 
These pieces configure your service to the ISP; IE: like packages you have or speed tiers.
 
Initially many ISP's just sent out emails to individual users that something on their network was sending out SPAM and due to that suggested to the ISP client to utilize something other that TCP SMTP port 25 for email after they had already changed the settings on the modem / router box.
 
They did offer alternative methodologies.
 
This whole fix of sorts did cause issues relating to personally owned modems as it was relating to changing basic service packages without telling the user; then a follow up message relating to spam (whether there was spam or not).
 
It did come to a legal civil suit case going though the court system some time afterwards (5-6 years ago?).  Try to find it / google it and you will not see any records of said case.
 
The above said at the time of the changes I was still using multiple email services (including my personal email services).  First level of support was typical.  I escalated my support ticket to 2nd / 3rd level support mentioning the civil suit which was in process at the time.  My TCP SMTP port 25 blocking was removed within hours of my calling support. 
 
That was around the time I went to changing my email setups to using STunnel on one box and routed emails via the utility.
 
This also relating to my Automation box software email stuff which quit working for a period of time.
 
A similiar issue recently (a couple of years back) came up with my Verizon FIOS account.  You could set up multiple email account but for whatever reason the spam block pieces of the sub accounts had been disabled (you could see the feature though).  I had to make an issue out of this in a legal sense and they did fix it.

 

[hardatk]

As an aside, since you mentioned you had issues with the DNS not populating automatically... I thought I'd plug the use of opendns / google dns. I use Verizon FIOS, and like many other ISPs decides to use it's DNS service as another advertising / control mechanism. If you've ever tried manually going to the wrong URL in your browser bar, and been re-directed to an ISP "search" page, that is what I'm talking about. Using a service like opendns also prevents the ISP from restricting your access (via DNS white / blacklisting) to internet sites.

EDIT: I thought I should also say, to do this.. most routers have a DNS setting for the WAN connection, change it from automatic / whatever it was (writing it down just in case) to one provided by the services above... and something else handy in case auto dns every fails, google DNS is always 8.8.8.8.